Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving showed out in the Dallas Mavericks’ thrilling 116-107 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The duo combined for 66 points, with Luka and Kyrie adding 33 points each. Their brilliance in the clutch is what propelled the Mavs to a stellar win over the T-Wolves, who were looking good in the game. PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. also had impactful outings, scoring 16 and 11 points respectively.
Kyrie Irving was incredible in the clutch as he made some big buckets to take the game away from the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Doncic was working on both ends of the floor, not only did he have a great offensive night, but he also stepped up on the defensive end with 5 steals. The game was back and forth until midway through the fourth quarter. From thereon, it was the Mavericks who took things under control, courtesy of their defensive brilliance. Daniel Gafford made his presence felt in the paint as he blocked some attempts at the rim from the T-Wolves, which led to the momentum shifting towards the Mavs.
Anthony Edwards tried his level best to keep the T-Wolves in the game. However, his efforts proved to be valiant as the others on his team struggled to step up in the fourth quarter. Ant-man scored 26 points and stepped up in the third quarter to give the Wolves their first lead of the game. With the series now 3-0 in favour of the Mavericks, Minnesota will have to pull off some sort of miracle to come back and grab the series.
How good are Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving ?
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving yet again proved to the world why they were one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Both these stars stepped up and led their team to a stellar win in Game 3, which now puts the Mavs in pole position to advance into the NBA Finals. One of the best things about the duo is that they are both capable scorers and have the ability to win games on their own.
Kyrie Irving’s ability in the clutch is familiar to everyone, but the Mavs also have Doncic who can take the final shot to win them the game. While many expected this to make things difficult for them, Kyrie and Luka have both proven that all they care about is winning. Whoever takes the last shot, the win is for the Mavs and that is what has helped them be so successful this season.
Among the teams remaining in the playoffs, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the most lethal duo. They have a combined scoring of 81.7 pts and they shoot at 48.3% from the field. The attention they get from opposition defenders allows their teammates to get a lot of quality shots and this has helped the Mavs massively in the playoffs.
The Mavs backcourt have a tough test waiting for them in the NBA Finals
The Mavs are now just a game away from the NBA Finals. Their potential matchup there will be against the Boston Celtics, who are also just a game away from making it to the Finals. Waiting for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving there will be the backcourt of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. The Celtics have the best defensive backcourt in the league and getting past them is not easy. Granted that the Mavs have made their way past some tough teams, their ultimate test will be against the Celtics, who will be hungry to get to their eighteenth championship in franchise history.
